Game



F. W. SINDEN Feb. 2, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 GAME Filed May l, 1962 N @n m INVENTOR.

Frank W.Sinden BY Maxwell E Sperrow ATTORNEY.

Feb. 2, 1965 F. w. slNDEN 3,168,311

GAME

Filed may 1, 1962 I 5 sheets-sheet 2 FlG. 5 Illlil 35 I: In 55 u 34 ml 'E' INYENTOR l' l' g Frank W. Slnden u BY 34 Maxwell E.Sparrow FIG .6 FG .7

ATTORNEY.

Feb. 2, 1965 Filed May 1. 1962 F. W. SINDEN GAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aal-'las INVENTOR. Frank W. Sinden BY Maxwell E. Sparrow ATTOR N EY.

United States Patent Oitice 3,168,311 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3,168,311 GAME Frank W. Sinden, Sterling, NJ., assignor, by mesue assignments, to Parker Brothers, Inc., Salem, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed May 1, 1962, Ser. No. 191,489 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) This invention relates to games, particularly to such games which require skill in its operation and the exercise of good judgment rather than taking chances.

The invention consists in the novel parts, construction arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described. Objects `and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a new, interesting and entertaining game.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a con- 4 A trivance, the operation of which may be understood easily, but requires skill and the exercise of good judgement in its performance.

Yet another object of the invention isv to provide an article of manufacture in the form of a game of skill, which is simple in design and which can be produced economically.

Various further and more speciiic purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specitic names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a game, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of ythe game shown in FIG. 1, taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section of the game shown in FIG. l, taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view yof the game set up for playing;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the game in an intermediate state of playing;

FIG. 6 is a side view of one of the play pieces or tokens which is employable in the game;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of play pieces which may be used in the game, showing several sizes thereof;

FIG, 8 is a plan view of other play pieces which may be employed in the invention; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate further embodiments of the invention.

In general outline, the apparatus for the game consists of a tray or board with a spring-loaded sliding plunger or pusher mounted in it and a plurality of play pieces or members, such as disks of various sizes and shapes.

The plunger forms one side of the tray and the spring j pushes the plunger in such a way that its movement tends to decrease the trays area.

With the plunger or pusher pulled back, the disks are placed in the tray at random. The plunger is then released and its forward spring pressure packs the disks together. Some of the disks participate in the support of the plunger; others remain loose. Players take turns removing disks, attempting to choose only those that are loose. If a player chooses the wrong disk, i.e., one essential to the support of the plunger, the structure collapses with a loud clatter. The player pays a penalty in points and the game continues.

It is possible to use the disks to build various arched structures solid enough to support the plunger. One can also confront himself with the problem of raising the plunger to maximum height using a given set of disks.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments by which the invention may be realized, there is shown in FIGS. l, 4 and 5 an open, flat, rectangular, box-like game board denoted by the general numeral 20. This box-like board has `two elongated side walls 21, a head wall 22, a foot wall 22 and a flat bottom 23, which is inserted into grooves 24 of said walls for greater stability. A bar 25 extending across the board between the two side walls 21 is slidingly arranged in said board in the longitudinal direction thereof. The two side walls 21 have on their inside near the-bottom 23 small grooves 26 into which protrusions 27 on both ends of said bar 25 slidingly'lit in order to prevent the bar 25 from falling out. A rod or stick 28 is slidingly arranged in a hole 29 in the center of the head wall 22, said rod 28 having a knob 30 on its end outside vsaid board 20. The other end of said rod 28 is attached toy the bar 25, the whole constituting a pusher. A helical spring 31 extending between the inside of said head wall 22 and said bar 25, circumposed about said rod 28, exerts a pushing force on said bar 25. A plurality of play pieces or tokens some of which vary in surface or planar area from that of other play pieces or tokens, in this instance, being cylindrical members or discs 32, V33, 34, having short stems 35 in the center thereof, are placed inside the operating area of the game, extending between said movable bar 25 and the foot wall 22 and are pushed together by said bar 25 under the force of said spring 31. Since the disks 32, 33, 34 have various diameters, groupings are arranged whereby arches are formed by the contact of the various disks, said arches being held under the force of spring 31.

The principle of :the game yis that the players try to remove disks which are free, that is, not held by the pressure of the `spring and not actually being a part of an arch, such as mentioned above. Each size of disks represents a number of points so that the game is scored by a point evaluation in a positive sense, if the player is able to remove a disk without disturbing the rest, or in a negative sense (penalty) when a disk is taken out whereby the arrangement collapses. In the new formation of the disks under the continuous spring force, some other disks are set free for being removed, scoring positively. The game continues until all disks have been taken out.

Thereafter, the bar 25 is drawn back by means of the rod 28 and the operating space is filled again with the disks 32, 33, 34 in a casual manner whereupon the springloaded bar is released against the disks and playing of the game may be started again.

It is understood that all of ythe disks may be of the same diameter.

It is evident that the play pieces or tokens may assume other desirable shapes and dimensions, some of which are indicated in FIG. 8 by the numerals 42, 42a, 42b, 42C and 42d.

It is further evident that the playing board may assume other desirable shapes, such as for example, those indicated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

In FIG. 9, the playing board is shown as being a segment of a circle having a curved or arcuate wall 40 joining straight walls 43, 43a. A radial arm or pusher 41,

pivoted at 46, is urged in the direction of the play pieces 3 42. 42a, 42b,'42c and 42d by spring means 44, which is held by screw or bolt 45 on an extensionvof wall43, thus placing some of the play pieces under stress and leaving others loose.

In FIG. l0, the playing board 48 is provided with an elastic or flexible wall or rim 46 connected toa straightl rigid wall 4,7. It ,is evidentthat certain of the pieces 42, 42a, 421), 42C and 42d are under stress from the pressure exerted by the elastic rim 46 and certain of them are loose. As shown, theV play pieces may be of different configurations.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a vcertain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention that vanious other changes and modiiications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications. l Y

I claim: Y

1. A game comprising a receptacle having a at iield and at least one wall, a pusher operable in saidreceptacle over said field, means to yieldingly urge said pusher toward said wall, and a plurality of removableplaypieces disposed latly against the surface ofsai'd field and at random within the area between said pusher and said wall, some4 of said play pieces being :contactingly held against each other `or vagainst said wall or said pusher' `under the influence of said urging means while others of said play pieces are free from said influence, the construction and arrangement of said play pieces being such as to allow the removal of some out not all of the playA pieces 3. A game, according to claim 1, wherein said recepltacle vcomprises a sector and said pusher comprises a pivoted radial'arm.

4. A game, according to claim 1, wherein said yieldingly urged pusher comprises an elastic wall of said receptacle.

5. A game, comprising in combination a substantially rectangu1ar,boxlike board having walls, a bar extending across said board, said bar being slidable in the longitui dinal direction of said board, said bar dividing said board into an operating and into an idle area, a rod attached to said bar, said rod being slidably arranged in the center of one of said walls, a helical spring circumposed about said rod, said `spring abutting with one end against said Vwall ,and with the other end against said bar, and a plurality of removable playpieces disposed at random on saidboard, some of said play pieces varying in planar area from that Vof others thereof, some of said play pieces being held by said bar under thel pressure ofA said' spring in said operating area of said board, in contacting relation, the construction and arrangement of said play pieces being such as to allow the removal of some but not all of the play pieces without releasing said spring.

References `Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,233,873 7/17 Hall 21'1-51 1,541,173 6/25 Ormond. v 1,790,499 1/31 De Wilde. 2,693,686 11/54 f Pierce a; 220-93 3,028,014 4/ 62 Southwick 211-49 RICHARD C.`PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

JAMES W. LOVE, DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiners. 

1. A GAME COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE HAVING A FLAT FIELD AND AT LEAST ONE WALL, A PUSHER OPERABLE IN AID RECEPTACLE OVER SAID FIELD, MEANS TO YIELDINGLY URGE SAID PUSHER TOWARD SAID WALL, AND A PLURALITY OF REMOVABLE PLAY PIECES DISPOSED FLATLY AGAINST THE SURFACE OF SAID FIELD AND AT RANDOM WITHIN THE AREA BETWEEN SAID PUSHER AND SAID WALL, SOME OF SAID PLAY PIECES BEING CONTACTINGLY HELD AGAINST EACH OTHER OR AGAINST SAID WALL OR SAID PUSHER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SAID URGING MEANS WHILE OTHERS OF SAID PLAY PIECES ARE FREE FROM SAID INFLUENCE, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID PLAY PIECES BEING SUCH AS TO ALLOW THE REMOVAL OF SOME BUT NOT ALL OF THE PLAY PIECES WITHOUT RELEASING SAID URGING MEANS. 